Gudauskas Guest Edit: Things Which Get Us Stoked

Once a week the most stoked threesome in surf will be bringing you a day of stoke from the 7 Mile Miracle during the Vans Triple Crown. Welcome to the Gudauskas Brothers' Guest Edit Tuesday, which could occasionally be on a Wednesday.

We're stoked to be guest editing throughout the next six weeks here on the North Shore with magicseaweed. The three of us have decided to reflect on things, people, and waves which get us stoked and inspired when coming to the Mecca of surf, the North Shore of Oahu.

For our first post, we went with the Wave Warriors II of Mike and Derek Ho. One thing we love doing when we're here in Hawaii is watching the lines that the original crews were drawing at the same waves we are surfing today. Nothing gets us more psyched then these videos. Mike and Derek are inspirations in the way they have always surfed these reefs and their relentless surf stoke. I hope we can be surfing as well, and as much as them, when we are their age.

Seeing Tony Moniz dropping into what seemed like a 100 foot wave at Waimea, and pulling into a closeout barrel. We watched it again and again amazed as to how he didn't die. Did waves get that big? Do people actually surf them?

As a grommet, the North Shore of Hawaii was a far off distant place. A place where waves were larger then life, and a place where iconic watermen were riding them. I can still remember sitting side-by-side with my brothers, in our house in California watching the local motion video A Little bit of Hawaiian Style, and seeing Tony Moniz dropping into what seemed like a 100 foot wave at Waimea, and pulling into a closeout barrel. We watched it again and again amazed as to how he didn't die. Did waves get that big? Do people actually surf them? Or watching the soulful Gerry Lopez beautifully navigate flawless Pipeline in the movie 5 Summer Stories. Crystal blue caverns of water barreling over emerald reflections. Slowly growing, growling, and spitting out the calm, cool and collected Gerry Lopez. Style, grace, and bravado. Or Uncle Buffalo surfing Makaha, or Uncle Buttons doing 360s on his single fin surfboard with his electric afro and incredibly fun style and flow. Or Derek Ho's bomb at Pipeline during the Pipe Masters. All of these people quickly became our heroes. And these waves became the Mecca that we would dream of someday surfing. A far off dream, with the power to drive surfers from all over the world to the beaches of the North Shore of Oahu.

To me, the North Shore is the only proving ground there is. It's a time capsule of iconic rides, legendary stories, and a Rolodex of the surfing world's most historic characters. It's one of the few places in the world that you can paddle out, and surf side-by-side with heroes of all eras. From Rabbit Kekai to John John Florence, on any given day you may run into one of, or all of your surfing heroes. For this I am grateful to be here. It's a continuation of surfing history, being written every day in this 7 mile stretch. The world's best surfers, surfing the worlds best waves.